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Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike
Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike is a 1944 Private Snafu short directed by Chuck Jones and first released in issue 23 of the Army-Navy Screen Magazine.Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 193 Plot A wanted poster of Malaria Mike, the mosquito, hangs on a tree. The surrounding area is a swamp. Mike himself admires his image in the poster, though he is not satisfied with the depiction of his nose. A splash of water alerts Mike to the presence of a potential target for him: the naked backside of Snafu. The soldier is currently bathing in a stream. Mike consults a chart detailing the choice parts of an American soldier. The buttocks are identified as filet mignon in the chart. Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 193 Examining the buttocks of Snafu, Mike recognizes the man. Claiming to never forget a face. Mike reads the dog tags of Snafu and is enthusiastic to learn that the soldier is blood type A, his favorite type.Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 193 As Snafu dresses, Mike follows Snafu around and attempts to assault him. Various movements and clothing protect Snafu as time passes. In one occasion, Mike misses his target and infects a nearby tree with malaria. It promptly shrivels up and dies. Finally Snafu makes a mistake by rising from his camp bed with his backside nude. While kissing a photo of his girlfriend, his nude rear is offered as a target to Mike. The snout of the mosquito finally hits the mark.Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 193 Some time later, Mike is sitting at an easy chair with a son sitting on his knee. The inquisitive boy asks what his father did in the "great war". Mounted above his fireplace is the trophy head of Snafu.Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 193 In a postscript, Snafu thanks his sponsors, the United States Army. He credits them as providers of insect repellent, mosquito nets, atabrine tablets, and horse sense. He wishes he had actually used them.Shull, Wilt (2004), p. 193 Availability * Blu-ray, DVD - Private Snafu: Golden Classics (Thunderbean Animation) Context In the Pacific War, the lack of mosquito control measures had caused malaria to reach epidemic status. Entire infected units had to be evacuated before actually experiencing combat. Early in the War, it was estimated that malaria caused eight to ten times as many casualties than the battlefield. In 1943, James C. Magee, Surgeon General of the United States Army, created special units to plan and carry out malaria control.Russell (2001), p. 112-114 The same year, Douglas MacArthur issued orders concerning malaria control measures. Among them was raising the shipping priority of anti-malaria supplies, providing troops with prophylactic drugs (quinine and atabrine) and mosquito repellents, and training troops in the importance of malaria.Russell (2001), p. 112-114 Also in 1943, the United States Army started issuing educational propaganda about malaria. The educational campaign included films, radio broadcasts, posters, pinup calendars, signs, manuals, matchbooks, ration containers, and maps. All warning soldiers to protect themselves from malaria infection. This animated short film was part of the wider campaign.Russell (2001), p. 112-114 Notes * Some of the Private Snafu films reused animation from mainstream films of Warner Bros. Cartoons. The air raid-like climax of the film derives from "The Fighting 69½th" (1941).Ericson (2012), p. 374 * Technically, Malaria Mike should have been female instead of male, since the females bite and draw blood, not the males. Sources * * * References Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones Category:Private Snafu Cartoons Category:Shorts Category:1944 Category:Black-and-white cartoons Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc Category:Cartoons produced by Leon Schlesinger Category:Public domain films